Lima, city, capital of Peru. It is the country’s commercial and industrial centre. Central Lima is located at an elevation of 512 feet (156 metres) on the south bank of the Rímac River, about 8 miles (13 km) inland from the Pacific Ocean port of Callao, and has an area of 27 square miles (70 square km). Its name is a corruption of the Quechua name Rímac, meaning “Talker.” The city forms a modern oasis, surrounded by the Peruvian coastal desert a short distance west of the Andes Mountains. Area 1,506 square miles (3,900 square km). Pop. (2007) metro. area, 8,472,935. ... (100 of 4,304 words)